In the early hours of Monday, operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly, sealing the offices of Speaker Mojisola Meranda, her deputy, and the House clerk.
By 10 am, armed security personnel had fully secured the premises in Alausa, Ikeja, conducting searches on all individuals entering the area.
Meranda arrived with her convoy at approximately 11:15 am.
This move comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the removal of former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who has filed a lawsuit against the state lawmakers, challenging his ousting.
Obasa, who was removed in absentia on January 13, 2025, by 32 out of the 40 members of the Assembly while he was in the United States, has referred to the event as a “coup,” a sentiment echoed by President Bola Tinubu.
The removal has sparked a divide among members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the apex decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos. Obasa is contesting the legality of his removal through a suit filed at the Ikeja Division of the State High Court, seeking an expedited hearing.
The lawsuit, filed on February 12, 2025, names the Lagos State House of Assembly and current Speaker Mojisola Meranda as defendants.
Obasa, represented by Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, is requesting several court orders, including an expedited hearing, and a reduction in the time allowed for responses from the defendants.
The application is based on nine grounds, focusing on interpretations of various constitutional provisions and the rules of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The suit read in part: “This application is predicated among which he stated the suit concerns the interpretation of Sections 36; 90; 92(2)(c); 101 and 311 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended) vis-à-vis ORDER V RULE 18(2) and Order II Rule 9(1)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) OF RULES AND STANDING ORDER OF LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY (which enjoy constitutional flavor and status);
“The action borders on the constitutionality or otherwise of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly of the 13th January, 2025 where the Plaintiff herein, as Honourable Speaker was said to be impeached.
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“This action challenges the constitutionality of the sitting and proceedings of the Lagos State House of Assembly to sit during recess without the Speaker reconvening the House or giving any other person powers to reconvene the House.
“Public interest requires the case to be heard and determined speedily and expeditiously so that legislative activities in the State is not stalled.
“The legality of the continued sitting of the 1st defendant under the present leadership in violation of the aforementioned laws and rules calls for an urgent determination;
“The nature of this action is such that is required to be heard and determined expeditiously having regard to the exceptional circumstances surrounding same;
“There is need to abridge the time within which the Defendants may file their response to the originating summon as well as time within which the claimant/Applicant may file its reply on point of law; and
“This Honourable Court is imbued with inherent powers to grant accelerated hearing and abridgment of time; and
“It is expedient to grant accelerated hearing of this action and abridgment of time for parties to file the relevant processes in the interest of justice.”
Obasa maintained that none of the parties to the case would be prejudiced or suffer any injustice by the grant to his application.
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